What if what you perceive as a weakness or defect, may actually be your superpower?
“Anything you can’t embrace about yourself gets to use you!”
I was sitting in the Columbus Circle amphitheater in Manhattan with about 2000 other people. This was my first weekend in my training with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in the fall of 2006.
A petite woman was commanding this huge stage, her words shook all 2001 of us into attention. Her name was Debbie Ford, the author of the Dark Side of the Light Chasers and the founder of Integrative Coaching.
She was telling us her story through addiction and her journey to redemption. She recalled a particular day in the middle of a workshop in front of everybody, when a woman said out loud, “you’re a bitch!”
You know that one word you don’t want to be called!
As she retold us this story she said, “I had spent 5 years and $50,000 hiding that part of me! How did she know?”
That woman who had called her a bitch, asked, “tell me something good about being a bitch. Obviously if you’re being one there must be some benefit to it!” But all Debbie could think of are the friends she hurt and lost.
“If you were remodeling a house and the contractor was 10 weeks late, and $10,000 over budget, does it help to be a little bitchy?” Asked the woman.
That’s when Debbie Ford had her turning point insight. This insight would later be her contribution to the world and her gift to me personally.
Denied, hidden and suppressed
She said, “I realized that this part of me that I had denied, hidden and suppressed, this part of me that I was so ashamed of, actually came with bearing some gifts!”
“Either you’re going to use it or it’s going to use you.” You can use it as a super power or be victimized by it.
Owning my weakness
Did you ever have moments you just know you will remember all your life? That was one of those moments for me.
You see, I have a habit of detecting and calling out bullshit! And because of it I’ve been called the b-word.
I have invested so much time, money and energy trying to eradicate this part of me. Went on meditation retreats. Read so many books on self-improvement. And took so many self-development workshops just so I could manage it!
But it wasn’t until that moment, hearing Debbie Ford, who since has passed away, deliver her message to me:
Laure, what you consider a weakness, a defect is actually your strength, your super power if you can just allow it, embrace it and own it.
My weakness’ gifts
In order to deliver the gifts that I have to deliver, I have to call my clients’ bullshit! I have to shake them out of their victimhood in order for them to emancipate themselves from their toxic thinking, eating and habituating. And be the ball of fire they really are.
There’s something else I realized.
When I would call out people’s bluff it was always ugly because I was so ashamed of myself. I had so much self-judgment around it that it came out mean, disrespectful and angry.
But as soon as I began to see this part of me as a strength, and be comfortable with it and how people reacted to it, then it started coming out with compassion, empathy and levity.
Embrace your shadow
I have a confession to make, I don’t really remember what I learned in my training with IIN. But I can still see today in my mind’s eye, Debbie Ford so small on that huge stage, yet so powerful, when she showed me what it looks like to embrace/own my shadow.
What part of you are you spending so much energy denying, hiding and suppressing like a big beach ball underwater?
How different would your life be if this part you see today as a weakness or a defect, that you’re ashamed or afraid of could actually be your superpower.
What would your life look like if you could simply embrace it instead of pushing it?
Want a peek? Let me show you how! Fill out the short From Weakness To Super Power questionnaire below and receive an email with my feedback!
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